The assumption that "motive to blow it up" and "owns a long gun" need to have an intersection is questionable. Someone could own a long gun, and fired it for no apparent reason.

In other words, Petey is assuming that people with long guns are reasonable, rational actors.

The intersection of "owns a long gun" and "reasonable, rational" is probably empty.

You've kind of got a point there. Imagine the Joker with a long gun. He'd be firing it just to see the pretty explosions...oh wait, that's a reason, albeit a somewhat deranged one.

But IMO it's probably safe to assume for story purposes that whoever blew up Petey's ship isn't certifiably insane. They'll have at least a somewhat rational reason for their actions. What that is will be what must be discovered.

_________________The MacNutArtist and writer of The Vanguard, a space opera superhero comic.

But IMO it's probably safe to assume for story purposes that whoever blew up Petey's ship isn't certifiably insane. They'll have at least a somewhat rational reason for their actions. What that is will be what must be discovered.

Yes, but the group of people known to have long guns are also a group that's more likely to let Petey try and ease the Ob'enn leadership towards being less xenophobic and more willing to try genuine diplomacy. They're also a group who doesn't want things to devolve into the sort of cold war that open use of long guns would cause.

But IMO it's probably safe to assume for story purposes that whoever blew up Petey's ship isn't certifiably insane. They'll have at least a somewhat rational reason for their actions. What that is will be what must be discovered.

Yes, but the group of people known to have long guns are also a group that's more likely to let Petey try and ease the Ob'enn leadership towards being less xenophobic and more willing to try genuine diplomacy. They're also a group who doesn't want things to devolve into the sort of cold war that open use of long guns would cause.

Which means that there's a data point missing here.

The only motive I can see is a desire to see the war continue. AllStar's (Putzho's) former employers would be the first party to check to see if they have managed to develop a long gun.

Yes, but the group of people known to have long guns are also a group that's more likely to let Petey try and ease the Ob'enn leadership towards being less xenophobic and more willing to try genuine diplomacy. They're also a group who doesn't want things to devolve into the sort of cold war that open use of long guns would cause.

Which means that there's a data point missing here.

The only motive I can see is a desire to see the war continue. AllStar's (Putzho's) former employers would be the first party to check to see if they have managed to develop a long gun.

Managed? They've probably had long guns for longer than every other current species has existed. They certainly recognized what they were when checking up on the rest of the galaxy, and frankly once you get the ability to open wormholes, which you need for FTL in this setting, long guns are a natural extension. It seems like the hardest part is realizing its possible.

That said they're also the least likely to actually use them. They seem to have an extreme aversion to interacting with everyone else, and if they wanted to use their long guns to do so they probably would have opened up on everyone at once. Or at least used a shot to kill the data vault remotely.

Not all good luck is enemy action and not all explosions are made by unknown long guns. Unless we have someone around saying they're stumped at why it exploded, it's probably something else, like poor workmanship or sabotage.

Yes, but the group of people known to have long guns are also a group that's more likely to let Petey try and ease the Ob'enn leadership towards being less xenophobic and more willing to try genuine diplomacy. They're also a group who doesn't want things to devolve into the sort of cold war that open use of long guns would cause.

Which means that there's a data point missing here.

The only motive I can see is a desire to see the war continue. AllStar's (Putzho's) former employers would be the first party to check to see if they have managed to develop a long gun.

Managed? They've probably had long guns for longer than every other current species has existed. They certainly recognized what they were when checking up on the rest of the galaxy, and frankly once you get the ability to open wormholes, which you need for FTL in this setting, long guns are a natural extension. It seems like the hardest part is realizing its possible.

That said they're also the least likely to actually use them. They seem to have an extreme aversion to interacting with everyone else, and if they wanted to use their long guns to do so they probably would have opened up on everyone at once. Or at least used a shot to kill the data vault remotely.

I think you misunderstood me. I meant Putzho's former employer, the weapons manufacturer, Urtheep Industries, not the All Star.

Not all good luck is enemy action and not all explosions are made by unknown long guns. Unless we have someone around saying they're stumped at why it exploded, it's probably something else, like poor workmanship or sabotage.

Howard Tayler "Short version: you're confused, because you have no context (yet) for the information presented. Similarly, you had no context for the information presented in the very first strips in this book.

Not all good luck is enemy action and not all explosions are made by unknown long guns. Unless we have someone around saying they're stumped at why it exploded, it's probably something else, like poor workmanship or sabotage.

Howard Tayler "Short version: you're confused, because you have no context (yet) for the information presented. Similarly, you had no context for the information presented in the very first strips in this book.